W&M to host African leaders for Mandela Washington Fellowship

The College of William & Mary will welcome 25 civic leaders from Africa for 15 days of leadership training, public policy seminars and mentorship as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative, which aims to invest in the next generation of African leaders, thus ushering in an era of strong democratic governance and peace across Africa.

According to a press release from the college, this is the third year William & Mary and its partners in the Presidential Precinct, an alliance between William & Mary, the University of Virginia and historic Presidential sites in Virginia, have been selected as hosts for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

“All of us at William & Mary are very proud to be participating in the Mandela Washington Fellows program, along with our partners in the Presidential Precinct, for the third year in a row,” Stephen E. Hanson, Vice Provost for International Affairs and Director of the Reves Center for International Studies said in the release.

“We are truly blessed to have the chance to meet such amazing, dynamic young leaders from across the African continent — and to share ideas about how to forge a better future for Africa and the United States alike.”

Starting Sunday, the 25 civic leaders — ranging from doctors to activists –will travel to Charlottesville, Orange and Williamsburg for 15 days of leadership training, academic coursework and mentoring.

Later this year, all 1,000 fellows participating in similar programs across the country will visit Washington, D.C. for a three-day Presidential Summit.

Following the summit, a select group of 100 fellows will remain in the United States for an eight-week internship at a relevant U.S. business, non-governmental organization or government agency.

To see a full list of fellows participating in the program, click here.